We are incredibly excited to announce that the alpha version of the Neighborhood Finder is now live.

Click on the link above and you'll be able to choose from a list of neighborhood priorities, create a profile, and explore interactive maps. You'll notice that - for now - there are only a few options to choose as priorities. Please check back regularly - or even better follow us on Twitter, join our e-mail list, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

We'll be adding a number of features this month:

• dramatically expanding the number of data sets you can choose from,
• adding an individualized "to work" transit directions block to map pages,
• enabling turning off and on data layers on map pages,
• and expanding the information about zip codes on results page.

The progress you see on MoveSmart.org has been supported largely by the Field Foundation of Illinois. Field has issued MoveSmart.org a challenge grant - they'll match every dollar we raise, up to $10,000, before the end of December 2009. We're hard at work pitching potential sponsors and firing off grant applications, but we need your help to reach this goal.

If just 50 people give $50 each, MoveSmart.org will have another $5,000 to finance the development of the site - doubling each donation's impact. We've got a long list of functions and features to implement. Your support is critical as we begin to expand.